RETURN OF THE MAC

Alexis sinks Real yet again to ensure Alexander Arnold's first trip back to Anfield is a miserable one

- ANDY DUNN

FOR an hour, it was a familiar tale of one particular man holding back a red tide, of one goalkeeper revelling in this classic fixture.

But even in the sort of form that thwarted Liverpool in the 2022 Champions League final, Thibaut Courtois could not deny an irresistible Liverpool.

Crisis? What crisis? The victory margin was narrow but the performance was mighty.

A clean sheet and a win over Aston Villa at the weekend and a clean sheet and a win over Real Madrid mean we can call an end to the hysteria about Arne Slot's slump.

And this was also proof that Liverpool can be as effective without Trent Alexander- Arnold, who was booed when he came on as a late substitute.

Inevitably, the whole Trent thing took on a distinctly pantomime feel - in fact, it was mildly amusing.

Hearing the jeers cannot have been nice for him but it could have been worse - he could have been playing right-back for Liverpool and having his head spun and blood twisted by Vinicius Jr.